Gluteal Buttock Side Stretch
What muscles does the gluteal buttock side stretch target?
Gluteals
Lumbar Spine
Lateral Hip
How to perform stretch:
Lie flat on your back with both legs straight
Bend on leg and rotate this over the straight leg
Shoulders should remain flat on the floor
Push bent knee towards the floor
Anatomy:
Gluteus Maximus is a major extensor of hip joint. Gluteus Medius and Minimus are involved with abduction. Minimus along with Medius anterior fibers, carry out flexion and inside rotation at the hip. Medius posterior fibers, on the other hand cause extension and outward rotation of the hip. In standing position, Medius is the main muscle providing lateral support to the hip.
Serratus Poterior causes trunk extension with bilateral contraction, while its unilateral contraction leads to sideways bending of the trunk (as it pulls the outer angles of the ribs toward the spine).
Erector spinae is a group of muscles namely Iliocostalis Lumborum, Longissimus Thoracic and Spinalis. This group has fibers running in a longitudinal direction and is involved in trunk extension.
Fibers of the inter-segmental muscles like Multifidus and Rotatores run deep in a diagonal pattern. These are very small muscles and provide weak mechanical support to the corresponding spinal segment.
Advantages:
Trunk rotation is highly effective in relieving muscle strain and improving joint flexibility. This stretch involves a number of muscles and joints in the trunk, many not mentioned here.
This stretch facilitates bowing or trunk twisting movements and is therefore helpful in all kinds of sports like running, walking, cycling, swimming, jumping, kicking etc. Moreover, it is also a great cool down exercise for the body.
